Which Kinds of Juices Have the Most Vitamin C in Them?

by Melodie Anne

Orange juice is at the top of the list; however, plenty of other juices are also loaded with vitamin C.

Drinking more juice can be one of the quickest ways to up your vitamin C intake. You need plenty of vitamin C for optimal immune health, but it also helps wounds heal and neutralizes free radicals that scavenge through your body. While juice can be a part of your healthy diet, it shouldn't be your only source of vitamin C. You'll wind up drinking a lot of calories, while missing out on all of the fiber found in whole fruits and vegetables.

Citrus Juices

Citrus fruits are near the top of the list for vitamin C-rich foods. Eight ounces of fresh-squeezed orange juice has nearly 125 milligrams of vitamin C. Diluted frozen orange juice from concentrate has a little less -- about 95 milligrams per 8-ounce glass. Raw white or pink grapefruit juice each provide more than 90 milligrams of the vitamin in an 8-ounce serving. You'll get almost 55 milligrams of vitamin C from 8 ounces of sweetened tangerine juice.

Other Fruit Juices

If you're not a fan of citrus juices or looking for an alternative, you'll get plenty of vitamin C from just about any other type of fruit juice. An 8-ounce cup of cranberry juice cocktail contains 90 milligrams of vitamin C, unsweetened pineapple juice offers more than 25 milligrams for the same amount and 8 ounces of prune juice provides 10 milligrams of vitamin C.

Vegetable Juice

Don't forget about vegetable juices when heading down the juice isle. Blended vegetable juice cocktail has more than 65 milligrams of vitamin C in an 8-ounce serving. If you love tomato juice, you'll get lots of vitamin C from your morning beverage, as 8 ounces of tomato juice provides nearly 45 milligrams of the beneficial vitamin. You'll also get vitamin C from carrot juice, roughly 20 milligrams per 8 ounces.

Daily Requirement

Your daily vitamin C requirement varies depending on several factors. Men need more than women -- 90 milligrams versus 75 milligrams per day, respectively, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. If you're pregnant, you'll have to get 85 milligrams each day and then increase your intake to 120 milligrams while breast-feeding. Smoking ups your vitamin C needs because free radicals build up in your system when you smoke. You'll need 35 milligrams above your daily recommendation if you smoke.

Other Considerations

Always opt for unsweetened varieties of fruit juice whenever possible to avoid ingesting unnecessary calories. If you're drinking a vegetable-based juice, make sure it is labeled "low-sodium," so you don't wind up drinking a big chunk of your daily sodium allotment. Leaving the pulp in your juice at home or purchasing unfiltered juice keeps some of the fiber in your beverage, but still not as much as you'd get from the whole piece of produce.

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About the Author

Melodie Anne Coffman specializes in overall wellness, with particular interests in women's health and personal defense. She holds a master's degree in food science and human nutrition and is a certified instructor through the NRA. Coffman is pursuing her personal trainer certification in 2015.

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